There’s a Monster in the Garden (hopefully)
There’s a select group of gardeners who have a deep-seated desire to grow big vegetables, fruits and flowers. “Big” isn’t quite the right word. Maybe “giant”. Monster-size.
A number of award-winning growers have discovered that Spray-N-Grow is part of the secret to success.
Grow BIG vegetables with Spray-N-Grow Micronutrients.
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Spray-N-Grow gardeners are international, national and state award winners for growing the “big stuff.” Harry Hurley of North Carolina grew the largest Green Bean listed in the Guinness Book of Records in both 1994 and 1997. His 1994 winner measured 48-3/4 “, and in 1997 his world record bean was 51-3/8”.
Waddell Estep of Donaldson, Arkansas won the Championship in the watermelon division of the World Pumpkin Weigh-Off in 1993 with his 197.5-pound watermelon. He also won in 1989 and 1990 and came in second in 1991 and 1992. His largest watermelon was 245 pounds in 1990.
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John Turner of Atlanta, Georgia enters many contests each year. In 1993, John won second place in The Georgia Giant Tomato contest with a 2-pound 12-ounce Super Steak Tomato and first place at the North Georgia State Fair with his 275- pound pumpkin.
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Dana Rouse and his daughter, Dana, won the Lanior and Wayne County Fairs in North Carolina with their 258.5- pound watermelon.
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They all credit Spray-N-Grow with providing them a competitive advantage.
8 Tips for Growing “Garden Monsters”
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Select the right seeds. For many types of vegetables and fruits, there are varieties specifically developed to produce larger produce. “You can’t grow a record tomato from a regular seed,” says John. Waddell got his seeds from his neighbor, a former world champion.
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Check your USDA growing zone and average length of growing season. This helps ensure that the plants you are targeting can be successfully grown in your region and that the growing season is likely to be long enough for full development.
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Prepare your soil. Different plants require different soil composition and fertilizer. A soil test will help you determine what nutrients you will want to add. Soil test kits are easy to use and provide immediate results. Here’s a link to one we find reliable and easy-to-use.
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Reduce competition. Weeds and grass consume vital soil nutrients you want to go to your monster. We recommend Avenger Organic Weed Killer to keep weeds at bay.
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Water thoughtfully. Too much water will rot the roots and too little will inhibit growth. Early morning watering gets your plants ready for a hot day. Conversely, late day watering can promote fungal infections.
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Keep destructive bugs away. We offer a wide variety of insecticides that are safe for people, plants and pets. Choose the one that targets the insects bugging your monster. When using an organic insecticide, wait 2-3 days before and after spraying with Spray-N-Grow. If you spray your plants with a chemical insecticide, wait 5-7 days before and after spraying with Spray-N-Grow.
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Feed those hungry monsters. To grow beyond “big”, your plants require complete and balanced nutrition. Competitive gardeners swear by the following: Apply Spray-N-Grow and Bill’s Perfect Fertilizer (2 to 1 ratio) weekly. Wait 2-3 days and apply Spray-N-Grow at double strength.
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Experiment. According to John Waddell, “My theory is, in addition to Spray-N-Grow, if there’s something that might be beneficial, I’ll try it. No one source has all the beneficial ingredients. But I wouldn’t do without Spray-N-Grow. I experiment a lot. If it might help, I’ll try anything.”​